Date: Saturday 11th
March 2023
Venue: King Power Stadium
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
We battled against Leeds last weekend and
finally got a win. Not only that, but we also turned it around in the Champions
League midweek against Dortmund to go into the quarter finals. We’re going to
be all upbeat and expectant, and this afternoon’s game we travel to the King
Power Stadium to take on a struggling Leicester, so if we fail to build on the
two wins we’ve had, it’s going to go down like a lead balloon, but we have to
be realistic given our form away from home.
Leicester have lost their last three in
the league and come into the game off the back of defeat to Southampton last
weekend, but plenty of teams lose to them, right? They struggle defensively but
we’re hardly prolific in front of goal, so it’s unlikely to be a thrill a
minute sort of game. It could be a noisy affair though – and not in a good way,
because with neither set of supporters exactly enamoured with the current
manager in place, anything but all three points will not land well.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into today’s game, Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers, says “Clearly the club is
coming to the end of a cycle. There will be a natural progression of the team
and it’s exciting. It happens to the best teams and there will be a new energy.
But we have a massive job to do before then and we have to finish as strongly
as we can.
From Graham’s
perspective, he’s very new into there and it’s a difficult challenge because he
has so many new players. It’s difficult to keep 30 players happy. It’s just
time. At the top clubs, you may not get time but he is deserving of it. When
you make structural changes, it takes time to settle.”
Graham
Potter meanwhile, says “We have to play well.
I think Leicester’s results are worse than their performances. They’ve been a bit unfortunate as well I
think. They are suffering from not the best of starts, I’m sure Brendan
[Rodgers] will agree with that. But they’ve rallied as well and still
have some really good players. I have huge respect for what Brendan has done
there and he is a top coach and top person. It’ll be a tough game.”
SQUAD NEWS
For
Leicester, Ryan Bertrand is a doubt, whilst James Justin,
Youri Tielemans and Victor Kristiansen are unlikely to make it back for this one.
Jonny Evans (calf) could make the squad and Harvey Barnes (ankle) is available.
For Chelsea,
Armando Broja (ACL), Edouard Mendy (finger) and Thiago Silva (knee) remain out.
Raheem Sterling (hamstring) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (back) are injured,
and Reece James (illness) also misses out. The game
will probably come too soon for N’Golo Kante (thigh) and Mason Mount
(abdominal).
TEAMS
LEICESTER (Possible line-up): Ward; Pereira, Souttar, Faes, Castagne; Tete, Ndidi, Dewsbury-Hall,
Maddison; Daka, Iheanacho
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Arrizabalaga; Badiashile, Koulibaly, Fofana; Loftus-Cheek, Kovacic,
Fernandez, Chilwell; Mudryk, Havertz, Felix
LAST SEASON
Leicester 0-3 Chelsea (20
November 2021)
FORM (PL)
LEICESTER: DWWLLL
CHELSEA: DDDLLW
OTHER STUFF
- Leicester have won one home game out of the last
six against Chelsea.
- Chelsea won the reverse fixture in August.
- Leicester’s last win against Chelsea was in the 2021
FA Cup final.
- Leicester have lost four consecutive games in all
competitions.
- Chelsea are without a win in 10 games away from
home in all competitions.
- Leicester have failed to register a shot on target
in their last two league games.
- Leicester have gone four top-flight games without
scoring.
- Chelsea have scored the fewest goals in the Premier
League this season (49).
- Leicester have dropped 19 points from winning
positions this season.
- Leicester have lost 15 games so far this season.
PREDICTION
Sportsmole: Leicester 0-1 Chelsea
